


Dominica in albis - whether you want to or not.

by AllKindsOfEverything



Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 08:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10613568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllKindsOfEverything/pseuds/AllKindsOfEverything
Summary: Chance encounters can start beautiful friendships. I'd say this is one of these incidences.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Challenge - Father Brown "Ladies Week" - Day 4: Minor/non recurring Characters - (prompt: [not listed])

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" a female voice crescendoed behind Lady Felicia as it came closer.  
She turned and quickly stepped aside as she watched a young, bespectacled nun whoosh past her in a flash of black and white, her veil billowing out behind her dramatically.

The string of 'no's was shortly intermittent by an "excuse me" when the girl was at the lady's level before continuing as she ran down the narrow gravel path of the covent garden at an impressive speed, Lady Montague's eyes following her until she turned a corner and disappeared behind a hedge. 

Tilting her head, Felicia pursed her lips, intrigued, and decided to follow her.

When she turned the same corner she had seen the nun vanish behind, she found herself in front of a small shed, thick white smoke coming out of the open windows.  
Just when she was reaching for the door, it suddenly opened and some sort of sticky liquid was flung towards her, splashing against her chest.  
Hands and shoulders raised, eyes closed, her breath caught in her throat, she stood frozen for a moment before her eyelids fluttered open and she grimaced, glancing down at her soaked blouse and then up at the wide eyes of the nun standing in the open door.

"Oh good heavens, I'm so sorry!" Sister Boniface squealed, reaching towards the lady's chest but stopping when she realised what she was doing. Flitting back into her makeshift laboratory she retrieved a towel and handed it to Lady Felicia, who was gingerly pulling at the wet fabric sticking to her chest. "Here."

"Thank you," Felicia breathed gratefully, dabbing the towel against the ruined garment.

"Don't worry; it's not toxic."

Looking up at the girl, Felicia raised her brow, "I didn't know that was an option, but thank you for easing my mind all the same." She smiled mildly, somewhat amused by the situation now that the initial shock was ebbing off.

"Goodness, I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were there and," she broke off mid-sentence when a hissing sound came from behind her, her eyes widening in shock, "I'll be right back."  
With that she turned and rushed back into the shed, the door banging shut behind her.

Still patting her top, Felicia listened to her cursing colourfully as glass broke. This was really rather amusing. She would have never guessed a nun knew half the words she could make out through the semi-closed door.

"Are you all right in there?" She called, staying at what she considered a safe distance.

"I'll be fine," the muffled voice came from inside, followed by a loud thud and another string of very unladylike expressions.

Felicia stifled a giggle. "What exactly are you doing in there anyway?" She brushed the last remnants of the gooey residue off her chest and folded the towel over it, trying to keep the slime off her hands as best as she could. She scrunched her nose; it might not be toxic, but that didn't mean it wasn't disgusting. At least it didn't smell too bad.

"It's, ah,"  the nun reappeared in the doorway, "complicated." She smiled apologetically. 

Felicia smirked, deciding to let it go. "Well, I take your word for it."

"I'm really sorry about your blouse," Sister Boniface looked down, taking the soiled towel from the lady.

Seeing how upset the nun was, Lady Montague brushed it off, "Oh, don't worry. I have plenty more blouses. Besides," she shrugged, "I might be lucky and it will come out in the wash." Her opposite relaxed visibly.

"Oh, it will," the sister's face lit up, "As a matter of fact, if my calculations are correct, it will act as an unequalled whitener."

"Splendid," Felicia faked a smile, hoping the other woman wouldn't realise that bleaching something that wasn't originally white wasn't a good thing. Especially not if it was made from a material as delicate as the one of the blouse she was wearing.

"Can I, uh," Sister Boniface looked down at the towel, trying to figure out what to do with it and then threw it behind her into the shed before closing the door and stepping towards the other woman. "Can I help you at all?"

"No, thank you, I was just on my way back to the car when curiosity killed this particular cat."

"Ah, but satisfaction brought it back," the nun grinned widely.

Surprised by the sister's quick witted reply, she studied her for a moment and then extended her hand, "Lady Felicia Montague."

Quickly rubbing her palm against her habit, the sister shook the lady's hand and smiled, "Sister Boniface. Pleasure to meet you."

"Sister Boniface." Felicia recognised the name, "I think you know a friend of mine; didn't you assist Father Brown in one of his cases?"

"I did," the sister smiled brilliantly.

Excitement bubbled in Lady Montague's chest, but before she could bombard the nun with questions about her adventure, she felt the still damp material of her blouse shift uncomfortably against her chest and reconsidered. Looking down at the ruined garment, she pulled at it to get rid of the strange itching where it was drying against her skin, then turned back towards Sister Boniface and smiled apologetically, "I'd love to hear all about it, but I really should go and get out of this blouse."

"I could lend you something to wear?" The sister suggested, eager to talk about how she had helped.

The image of herself wearing a nun's habit flashed before Felicia's inner eye and she tried hard to swallow the giggle that went with the thought. "No, thank you."  
She watched Sister Boniface's face fall and felt oddly sorry for having to brush her off like that. "Tell you what," Felicia watched hope flicker in the nun's eyes, "I have another meeting lined up with your Reverent Mother on Thursday. How about I pop back here after that and you can tell me all about it?"

The Sister beamed and nodded her head vigorously, "Oh I'd love that." Her grin turned into a smirk before she added, "I promise I won't throw any chemicals at you next time."

Returning her smile, Felicia nodded. "Highly appreciated. Well, must dash. I'll see you on Thursday."

Sister Boniface watched Lady Montague walk away and folded her hands in front of her, taking a deep, satisfied breath. Thursday. She looked forward to that.

Sniffing the air, she furrowed her brow. What was that? Her eyes widened when she remembered "Oh no." Turning on her heels, she stormed back into the shed.


End file.
